After a historic 2024 season in which the Rochelle Hubs reached the Class 5A state quarterfinals and posted their first 10-win season in over two decades, head football coach Kyle Kissack said he wants his players to “make their own history” in 2025.

Rochelle kicks its season off Friday night, when the Hubs renew an old Northern Illinois Big 12 rivalry with a nonconference game against the Geneseo Maple Leafs. The Hubs, who went 10-2 and finished second in the Interstate 8 to Sycamore last season, are replacing several all-conference players, including All-State honorees Grant Gensler and Jack Carmichael.

“We have a lot of kids who will be in their first competitive moment of a varsity football game on Friday night,” Kissack said. “We’ve done everything we can to put them in situations throughout the summer and fall and see how they respond to pressure... Our kids have had the opportunity to be a part of some good groups in recent years. They’ve practiced with those groups and they understand the standard. Their objective now is to create their own history.”

Despite losing several starters from the 2024 roster, Rochelle welcomes back key players on both sides of the football. All-Interstate 8 running backs Dylan Manning and Roman Villalobos, who combined for over 2,300 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns last season, are expected to be big contributors both ways, with Manning moving from cornerback to safety while Villalobos slots in at inside linebacker. Offensively, the Hubs scored 39.3 points per game and rumbled for over 4,000 yards on the ground in 2024.

“The skills those two kids have fit well with the system we run,” Kissack said. “At Rochelle, if you want to play running back, you better be able to block. Those kids do a good job of that and it’s a focal point for us. They’ll certainly have to take on more of a leadership role and make sure they’re a sound, foundational part of what we want to do offensively. ... For us, it’s about being physical at the point of attack, controlling the line of scrimmage and being sound in our blocking scheme.”

Returning linemen Adam Cobos and Markell Pogue are primed to take on two-way roles in the trenches, where the Hubs are reloading after losing multiple key contributors, including four-year starting offensive lineman Kaiden Morris.

X-factors for the Hubs include All-Interstate 8 honoree Brode Metzger, a third-year varsity player who returns at tight end and outside linebacker. Defensively, Rochelle held its opponents to 18.5 points per game last year.

“They’ve done a great job of encouraging the competitive battles we’ve had at some of the other positions,” Kissack said. “Our defense embodies the culture of our program, which is being physical and relentless. We want to be as fundamentally sound as we can be and get as many hats to the ball as we can. Having the athleticism to run alleys and play sound defense will be extremely important to be successful in our conference and more so in our nonconference schedule.”

Van Gerber will take over as a first-year starter at quarterback, while Gavin Neale returns as a player to watch at running back and inside linebacker. The Hubs, who have made the playoffs over each of the last four years under Kissack, will play an Interstate 8 schedule that includes home contests with La Salle-Peru and Ottawa, as well as road matchups against Sycamore , Morris and Kaneland. Rochelle’s nonconference opponents include Chicago King, 1A state runner-up Lena-Winslow and 4A playoff qualifier Waterloo.

“It’s as challenging of a schedule as we’ve had in a number of years,” Kissack said. “We have historically successful programs up and down the schedule. ... Those staffs are doing the best they can to put the best product on the field, not only for their program and their kids, but for their community. It’s quite the challenge, and the focus for us will be week to week.”